Eight Tamil Tigers were killed in separate gun battles along the frontlines of Sri Lanka's north, the military said on Saturday, as violence continued to escalate following the government's withdrawal from a cease-fire.

Soldiers also battled the Tigers in the villages of Muhamalai and Nagarkovil on the Jaffna peninsula on Friday, killing eight, according to an unnamed a defense ministry official.

There was no immediate comment from the Tamil Tigers and independent confirmation is not possible since the battle zone is a restricted area.

Violence has intensified in Sri Lanka since the government announced two weeks ago that it was scrapping a six-year-old ceasefire, a pact both sides had largely ignored in recent years.

The truce officially ended on Wednesday.

The fighting on Friday came a day after the Sri Lankan military said that Tamil Tiger fighters killed at least nine civilians in the south.